This is not going to be an easy review to write. I have so many conflicting thoughts and…read morefeelings... reviewing a restaurant should never be this dramatic!
Seriously though... speaking as someone who was a partner in two restaurants in NYC for 4 years, who does not claim to "know it all" but knows some tricks of the trade... I think they've got great potential and would like to share my thoughts with them.
Saying they've "got potential" probably come across as smug, obnoxious, and ridiculous, especially because they've got like 4.6 stars here on Yelp! And that's mainly why I found myself here... Staying in Mansfield for the night, I looked up restaurants that were enroute to our hotel. Some of them had 3 or 3.5 stars and I said "no way." But 4.6 stars with as many reviews as The Farmer's Table has? Absolutely!
The atmosphere is a little bit diner but cozy enough and has the farm as a theme. There are some cool design elements, like the steel ceiling, the tables...
The bathroom was clean and well stocked, and that's a really good sign that the place is sanitary and organized.
The waitress was really, really nice... and we loved that we were in this tiny little town and yet she had this really cool, funky image. Great fingernails! I'm jealous! A tip for her to make service even better... think about sequence of service. Think about the extras that the customer will want with the specific thing they ordered so that they won't have to bother you. If they order something with fries, definitely put ketchup on their table, and do it before the food is delivered. There were also a lot of empty tables with salt shakers, but it's had none. Some customers notice these little things and appreciate a server who anticipates their needs.
On the other hand, maybe she was just really slammed busy before we got there. My wife and I waited like 2 minutes for her to take my order and she apologized profusely for having us wait so long for her. I was like, "am I in Manhattan or wut???" She was on point, generally easy to find when we needed her, she was never trying to hide from customers (a huge no-no) and very well-intentioned. Definitely a keeper.
The food though... I was surprised we didn't like it very much being the reviews were so good. When I got the check to pay, I asked the server what their most beloved and popular dishes are. She said that ppl order a lot of the prime rib sandwich, and also the cat fish. Incidentally, I had ordered the prime rib sandwich, and my wife had the breaded cat fish. I was expecting a lot more meat on my sandwich, and the bun was just a regular burger bun, but it was ok. It came with 3 slices of pickle and cost $11.90. I was still hungry after that so I finished my wife's catfish 'cuz she gets full easily. I liked the catfish more, but neither of us thought it was anything special.
What was special were the prices. The catfish included 2 sides, and it cost less than $14. Being from NYC, it was so refreshing to see pricing that reminded me of year 2000! A burger for $7.85 that's not Burger King? Incredible!
But the cole slaw... ewww. I didn't hate it, but I kind of forced myself to eat it even though it had a strange flavor. The sweet potato fries were ok. Everything was basically O.K.
I imagine that, if I lived there, I would go pretty regularly cuz it's probably the best thing the neighborhood has in a few square miles, and it's easier and more fun than cooking at home (if you're not a cook and you're busy at work). But I think that some improvement in the food could make the place more of a destination. And a destination could actually bring more business to the surrounding businesses!
I can understand if the townspeople want very basic food there, but at least offer a few specials that are fancier, better ingredients, something that stands out and is memorable.
I know I'm spoiled coming from NYC... a 4.6 star review in places like Manhattan are different than a 4.6 star review in a small town. But this place has some nice things about it. Take it all the way!
